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From Aeon, we picture ancient Britain as a land of enchanted forests, but that’s a fantasy: axes have been ringing for a very long time. The Magna Carta is considered by many to represent the foundation of democracy, but has its importance been exaggerated? British universities have a lot to learn about philanthropy — not least how to restrain its academic influence. Jon Kelly on why British police don’t have guns. Cita Stelzer reviewsServing Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard. SJD Green reviewsOur Church by Roger Scruton. More people may believe in an afterlife than believe in God. Penelope J. Corfield proposes a new and inclusive long-span history course — the Peopling of Britain — to stimulate a renewed interest in the subject among the nation’s secondary school students. Ross McKibbin writes in defence of British universities. Filled with treasures from around the globe and across the ages, England's university museums are as varied as their funding, but those of Oxford and Cambridge still take the lion's share of Hefce cash. Louis Fisher reviewsHabeas Corpus: From England to Empire by Paul D. Halliday.